Chapter 7 — Record of abuse (male witnesses)

Neglect

A number of witnesses reported having no experience of trusting relationships prior to their discharge. They said that the culture and fear of abuse to which they had become accustomed was such that following their discharge they were unable to form any attachments and had little idea about how to cope with relationships.

Twenty one (21) witnesses discharged during the 1970s and 1980s reported that preparation for their transition to independent living was inadequate and that they received no aftercare or support from the Schools or other health or welfare services when they were discharged. Others reported improved planning and aftercare arrangements during this period.

Emotional abuse

Any other act or omission towards the child which results, or could reasonably be expected to result, in serious impairment of the physical or mental health or development of the child or serious adverse effects on his or her behaviour or welfare.17 Any other act or omission towards the child which results, or could reasonably be expected to result, in serious impairment of the physical or mental health or development of the child or serious adverse effects on his or her behaviour or welfare.17 This section describes witness evidence of emotional abuse by deprivation of family contact, personal identity, secure relationships, affection, approval and a lack of safety and protection. These deprivations impaired the social, emotional and physical functioning and development of witnesses and were identified by them as generally disturbing both at the time and in the subsequent course of their lives.

Emotional abuse described by witnesses frequently referred to practices that were part of the Schools’ routine and that failed to recognise the individual needs of children and provide adequate care. Practices such as the separation of siblings, regimented routines and enforced isolation were reported as part of the culture of the institutions. A further component of emotional abuse described by witnesses referred to the constant physical and sexual abuse that engendered an atmosphere of fear. Emotional abuse was described as pervasive and systemic and was generally not ascribed to individual staff members. For this reason the following section does not include a list of reported abusers as has been outlined in previous sections.

The Committee heard 327 reports of emotional abuse from 293 witnesses (71%) in relation to 23 Schools.18 Thirty four (34) witnesses reported emotional abuse in more than one School. The frequency of reports of emotional abuse varied between Schools. • Three (3) Schools were collectively the subject of 155 reports.19 Five (5) Schools were collectively the subject of 101 reports. Fifteen (15) Schools were the subject of 1-11 reports, totalling 71 reports.

Three (3) Schools were the subject of 47% of all emotional abuse reports and, by contrast, 15 other Schools were together the subject of 22% of reports.

Emotional abuse was reported to occur in combination with other types of abuse as shown in the following table:

Abuse types	Number of reports	%
Emotional, neglect, physical and sexual	166	51
Emotional, neglect and physical	120	37
Emotional, physical and sexual	20	6
Emotional and physical	15	5
Emotional and neglect	3	1
Emotional, neglect and sexual	2	1
Emotional	1	(0)
Total	327	(100)*

As previously shown, 166 abuse reports were of all four types combined. In all but six instances (98%), witnesses reported emotional abuse in conjunction with physical abuse and in 291 instances (89%) witnesses reported both emotional abuse and neglect. There was some inevitable overlap between the reports of emotional abuse and the other three abuse types given in evidence.

The following table shows the distribution of witness accounts of emotional abuse across the decades covered by this Report:20

Decade of discharge	Number of emotional abuse reports	%
Pre-1960s	134	41
1960-69	137	42
1970-79	45	14
1980-89	11	3
Total	327	100

As noted with other abuse reports almost 45% of the reports relating to those discharged in the 1960s refer to witnesses who spent the majority of their time in the Schools during the 1950s.

Witnesses reported a daily existence in the Schools that was dominated by fear, humiliation, loneliness, and the absence of affection. Fear was strongly associated with the daily threat of being physically and otherwise abused and seeing co-residents being abused. Constant apprehension about the next abuse to which they would be subjected was also a feature. Witnesses reported being humiliated and denigrated in many ways, both deliberately in the presence of others and, less directly, in the way they were spoken to and treated. The rejection, hostility and criticism of staff was consistently described by witnesses as a cause of great distress. The isolation of witnesses from their parents and other family members was traumatic. The most frequently reported areas of emotional abuse are summarised and include: deprivation of affection, personal ridicule, deprivation of family contact, the denial of identity, being given false and/or inaccurate information regarding their background, and witnessing others being abused, the associated guilt and constant apprehension. Even when I was in the dormitory you used to hear the frock, the thing they ...(Brothers)... used wear. I’d hear them walking down and you’d be hoping they would not stop at you. I remember in the bed praying to God they would take somebody else instead of you, and then would say “thanks God for saving me”. You’d feel guilty about that.... The screams of the fellas being abused, everyone could hear it.... I was actually terrified.

One hundred and ninety four (194) witnesses described the lack of physical and verbal affection shown to them throughout their time in the School system. They reported receiving minimal emotional support, encouragement or comfort in the course of their childhood in institutional care. ‘There was a belief that you were on your own as a child or young person with no one to talk to about worries, fears, abuse or family.’ The rigid and harsh structure of institutional life excluded the development of affectionate attachment or any close relationships. Demonstrations of physical affection were described as specifically discouraged by staff. I remember the loneliness. You’d be in bed at night and you would be wondering, why didn’t mam come or why didn’t dad come? There was no one to hug you. I was not physically harmed there. It was emotional, nobody would come to you, it was just an emptiness, nothing to latch onto. I don’t understand how they didn’t see it. You’re lonely, unloved, unwanted.

As the circumstances of admission for many witnesses involved separation from their parents and siblings, witnesses described the subsequent deprivation of affection as a particularly serious and traumatic loss. News about their parents and family members was cherished information that a number of witnesses reported was routinely withheld for various reasons. One witness said that following his mother’s death a Brother whom he had beaten in a game on the playing pitch said: ‘Well here’s one game you’re not going to win, your mother died 3 weeks ago’.

Thirty (30) witnesses specifically reported on the unavailability of any person to confide in, which led to the belief that there was nobody who cared for or about them: ‘the worst thing was having no one to talk to, no one said a nice word to you. It was clear no one cared if you lived or died’. ‘Orphans’ and other witnesses who had been in care since early childhood, were particularly affected by the deprivation of any affectionate attachment or emotional bond. He, Br ...X... told to get my clothes on me ...(following public beating)... told to get out and head back down to the yard. You tried to get yourself together, tried to sit down. I was marked, I was cut.... There was this bench along by the wall.... I don’t think I ever heard anybody ever asked ...(ask)... “were you alright?” The other kids come around you, laughing at you, jeering, they were just saying “glad it wasn’t me”. You looked after yourself.

One hundred and sixty nine (169) witnesses reported that they were personally ridiculed and denigrated on a regular basis during their time in the Schools. Being verbally abused by staff was reported as a feature of everyday life in the dormitories, classrooms, refectories and other areas. Verbal abuse was frequently described as associated with physical abuse and part of the daily pattern of communication: ‘we were made to feel constantly ashamed’. Ridicule in class was described as a routine experience by 21 witnesses who had learning or associated difficulties. Nine (9) witnesses described being ridiculed in class because they had a stammer and of being repeatedly told there was no point in educating them. I had a very bad stammer when I was there, didn’t have it before. Had to go to ...named hospital... to get it remedied. ... I suffered quite a lot because of that, in the classroom and so on. I was not able to get an answer out in the class. If I put my hand up, you’d get a beating for that. Most of my life there operated on fear, of beatings and adults. It got to a stage with the stammer that I just didn’t answer questions, that was quite frightening. Some of the Brothers were quite sadistic.